Wait! Do These Three Things Before Selling Your Smartphone

You just found out your old smartphone has more value than you ever thought possible and now you can’t wait to turn it into cash by selling it or trading it in toward a new phone.

A Galaxy S4, left, and an iPhone 5.

Reuters

But that device isn’t just a phone, it’s a detailed record of your life. So whether you are trading in to help pay for an upgrade or looking to ditch that dinosaur in your sock drawer, take these steps first:

1. Back It Up

You should be backing up your phone regularly anyway, but it is especially crucial if you no longer plan own the device.

For an Android phone, set up your Google account to back up information through the settings menu. Many handset makers provide backup applications on the device. Other options on Android include Titanium, G Cloud Backup, and Helium.

2. Wipe It Clean

Imagine the next owner of your phone going through your photos and your texts.

When you turn over your old phone, you want it as blank as when it came from the factory. This is easier said than done. As with PCs, electronic fingerprints can be difficult to erase. Apple offers details on how to do this, and Android phones can be reset through the same menu setting that allows for backup.

Will this protect you from all mischief? Not necessarily, says McAfee online security expert Robert Siciliano, who has tested phones and found that Android devices are particularly vulnerable. He was able to pull data from used phones bought on Craigslist using basic forensic software obtained online. Google didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Siciliano recommends owners of newer Android phones use an app that is designed to wipe out data on the phone. He likes Autowipe. Another app, Lookout, is often recommended.

3. Strip It Down

If your phone has a SIM card, take it out. It has your phone number on it and you might want to use it on your next phone. If your phone has an additional memory card, pop that out too since it may contain data that could be harvested by unsavory types.

“A factory reset does not always destroy everything on the SD card,” said Alicia diVittorio, consumer safety advocate at Lookout.

Finally, give some thought to the cost-benefit tradeoff. For older Android phones, Siciliano questioned whether the risk of identity theft is worth the amount of money the phone will command.